Five questions about ... the Dodgers

The Dodgers are riding high with the best record in the majors (39-22) as the Angels head to Dodger Stadium to renew their SoCal rivalry.<br> Click through the photos for a preview of this week's Angels-Dodgers series at Dodger Stadium.<br>AP PHOTO, TEXT BY BILL PLUNKETT/THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

The Angels and Dodgers reversed roles for the first couple months of this season.

The Angels were supposed to be the hot team in Southern California, among the best in their league. The Dodgers were supposed to be the team that struggled, dragged down in the waning days of the McCourt ownership.

Instead, it was the Dodgers who got out of the gate with the best record in the National League -- a status they have now elevated to 'best in the majors' thanks to the Rangers' recent slump. And they're doing this despite the loss of Matt Kemp to the DL.

The Angels, meanwhile, were the team that couldn't get its house in order – until recently.

The two neighbors meet for the northern portion (Dodger Stadium) of their annual home-and-home Freeway Series this week. The Angels have owned this interleague matchup, winning nine of the past 12 games and 62.5 percent of them (45-27) since former Dodgers catcher Mike Scioscia became the Angels' manager in 2000.

Before fighting the traffic on the 5, we checked in with Tony Jackson who covers the Dodgers for ESPN-LA.com (and the Daily News before that) for some perspective on the surprising Dodgers.

Click through the photos for a preview of this week's Angels-Dodgers matchup.

The Dodgers are riding high with the best record in the majors (39-22) as the Angels head to Dodger Stadium to renew their SoCal rivalry. Click through the photos for a preview of this week's Angels-Dodgers series at Dodger Stadium.AP PHOTO, TEXT BY BILL PLUNKETT/THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER1) Which has been more important to the Dodgers having the best record in the majors (39-22) – smoke or mirrors?

(Pictured -- Six Mariners pitchers combined to no-hit the Dodgers Friday night in Seattle.)AP PHOTO, TEXT BY BILL PLUNKETT/THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTERA: Everybody says they're doing it with smoke and mirrors. But they're also doing it with striking resourcefulness. They're probably the most collectively intelligent team I've ever been around. They don't score a lot of runs but they manage to find a way to score just enough most nights. Beyond that, the starting pitching has been excellent and the bullpen has been solid -- especially since Kenley Jansen (pictured with Dodger fan Paul Abdul) was made the closer.AP PHOTO, TEXT BY BILL PLUNKETT/THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER2) How has the Dodgers' offense managed without Matt Kemp?

(Kemp, pictured, is on the DL for the second time this season with a hamstring injury.)AP PHOTO, TEXT BY BILL PLUNKETT/THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTERA: This gets back to that resourcefulness. They're finding ways to manufacture runs. On top of losing Kemp, Andre Ethier has been in a colossal slump. So they've really had to find a way to manage without either of them. Somehow they've managed to do it. The addition of Bobby Abreu was a huge lift. His patience at the plate has seemed to rub off on much of the rest of the lineup.

(Abreu, pictured, has hit .326 since being signed by the Dodgers after his release by the Angels.)AP PHOTO, TEXT BY BILL PLUNKETT/THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER3) Will the new Dodger ownership make its presence felt at the in-season trade deadline?AP PHOTO, TEXT BY BILL PLUNKETT/THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTERA: I expect they will. I look for them to add a starting pitcher, a big bat or possibly both. I also wouldn't rule out a blockbuster multi-player trade in which they might offload a front-line player or two. James Loney (pictured) comes to mind. In recent years – particularly during the bankruptcy -- they haven't had much payroll flexibility. Before that, their big acquisitions involved players whose former teams picked up most of the salary. AP PHOTO, TEXT BY BILL PLUNKETT/THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER4) Into his second season now, how would you rate Don Mattingly as manager?AP PHOTO, TEXT BY BILL PLUNKETT/THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTERA: He's exceeded expectations in almost every way, especially with his handling of a club and a clubhouse and the inevitable difficult situations that arise. His handling of a game can sometimes be questionable and I would attribute that partly to the fact that he spent so much time with Joe Torre (pictured with Mattingly). As great a manager as he was, Torre also wasn't necessarily a great in-game manager. Even with an offense that doesn't have a lot of power, Mattingly relies far too heavily on the sacrifice bunt.AP PHOTO, TEXT BY BILL PLUNKETT/THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER5) Ned Colletti was mocked by some for shopping in the bargain bin with his low-cost moves during the off-season (free-agent signings like Chris Capuano, Aaron Harang, Mark Ellis, Adam Kennedy and Jerry Hairston, re-signing Juan Rivera and Tony Gwynn Jr.). Which one has been the most valuable?AP PHOTO, TEXT BY BILL PLUNKETT/THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTERA: Jerry Hairston Jr. with Capuano a close second. Hairston's ability to play so many different positions and his ability to produce (a .356 average and .429 OBP) in what essentially has become an every-day role when he's never been an every day player has been a surprise. His versatility has been invaluable to a team that has essentially had to mix-and-match in its lineup almost every night. His production has been that of an every-day player for a guy who has never really been an every-day player in his career. Capuano has been a big plus as well. He was signed to be the fifth starter. But three years removed from Tommy John surgery, he's arguably better than he's ever been.AP PHOTO, TEXT BY BILL PLUNKETT/THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Pitching probables for the Angels-Dodgers series in Los Angeles this week:

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